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"(No Model.)`

R. A. WITTE-MANN. COUPON LABEL DEFAGING'DEVIGE.

N@ 577,804. Patented Peb z3, 1897.

rrnn Srnfrns ATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH A. WITTEMANN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 577,804, dated February 23, 1897. Application liled October 22,1896. Serial No. 609,724. (Nomodel.)

T0 a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it knowmthat LIQRUDOLPH A. WITTE- MANN, apcitirzen of the United States, residing at New ork, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ooupon-La bel-Defacing Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to labels for shipping and other packages, but more particularly to a label having a coupon device thereon for defacing the label; and the primary object thereof is to provide means for canceling or disfiguring labels, so as to prevent refilling or reusing a bottle or package that has once been used without iirst destroying the label, and to provide an incentive to the dispenser or seller of liquors or other goods to sell only the genuine article in an original package having my invention applied thereto.

A further object is to provide simple and efficient means for ready attachment to various forms of shipping-packages to indicate the genuineness of the package.

The invention will first be hereinafter more fully described with reference to the accompanyin g drawings and then pointed out in the claims at the end of the description.

Referring to the drawings which form a part of this specification, and in which the same letters of reference are used to denote the same parts in different views, Figure lis an elevation of a bottle having my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of a coupon-label embodying my invention, and Fig. 3 is a similar rear elevation showing a slightly-modified form of coupon.

In Fig. l Ihave illustrated one form of label attached to a bottle; but it will be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to any particular label or to any particular form or kind of package to which the label may be applied.

The label A is preferably provided with suitable identifying characters or marks and may have printed or otherwise produced thereon any desired Writing, printing, or trade-mark to indicate the ownership or origin of the goods contained in the shipping or other package to which it is attached. Such printing or writing may be so arranged as to serve as identifying-marks for the detached label, but additional identifying marks or characters are preferably employed. In the form of label shown the numbers 1780 and the shield, as well as other portions thereof in any desired colors, may serve for identifying purposes. Pasted or otherwise secured to the rear of the label, so as to underlie the id entifying-characters, is a coupon B, which preferably consists of a strip of strong porous material, as muslin having directions or other matter on its rear surface to 4indicate its value and use. This coupon may represent a fixed value to serve as part payment for future orders or for purposes of redemption. Its body portion b is preferably entirely concealed by the label when in use and is provided with a projecting portion or flap Z9', which may extend above the label, so as to permit the removal of the coupon from the package by grasping said flap with the hand and pullin g downward thereon. In some cases the coupon may have its rear surface free of securing means and be held to the surface of the package by the label overlying the coupon. When the coupon is torn off, it will separate a portion of the label from the package conforming to the shape of the coupon, which will serve as an identifying means.

As shown, the coupon has an enlarged portion, as at b2, intermediate its ends, in order that the portion of the label removed with the coupon may have an arbitrary form. By interposi'ng the coupon between the package and the label the edges of the coupon will serve as a guide and cutter to lnore readily cancel and separate a portion of the label, and such removed portion will conform to the coupon, las removed, and the identifying marks or characters thereon will serve to indicate its genuineness when compared with the remaining portion of the defaced label or a duplicate of thelabel prior to its defacement. I thus provide simple and efficient means for inducing the dispenser or seller of liquors and other goods to sell only the genuine article from an original package and thus avoid the liability of having the bottle or package refilled, as the label must be disiigured in such manner as to indicate to the pur- ICO chaser that the package does not contain the original goods.

The coupon may be of any suitable material and of any desired form. The coupon shown in Fig. 3 has substantially the form of the letter T.

Vhen employing the invention in connection with cigarboxes, l preferably secure the coupon to the main show-label, though the position of the label, as Well as the position of the coupon With respect thereto and the general character thereof, may be changed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is*

l. A label and defacing device, comprising a label proper having suitable identifying marks or characters thereon and adapted to be secured to a shipping or other package, together with a coupon having an enlarged portion intermediate its ends and secured to said label in such manner that when detached the identifying mark or marks on the label will adhere to the coupon while the label is de faced; said coupon also having a flap projecting beyond the edge of the label and adapted to be grasped for removing the coupon from the package, whereby the label is adapted to serve as an incentive for selling the particular class of goods contained in the original packages and may be eifectually canceled and the coupon readily identified to prevent fraud, substantially as described.

2. A coupon device for labels consisting of an elongated strip secured to the back of a' label so as to underlie an identifying mark or character on the face of the label, and having a substantially rectangular enlargement between its ends and a substantially semicircular iiap at one end projecting beyond the edge of the label in position to be grasped for forcibly removing the coupon and defacing the label; said coupon also having identifying marks or characters thereon, together with a label proper having an identifying mark or character thereon overlying the concealed portion of the coupon so as to be removed with the latter when the coupon is detached, substantially as described.

3. A label having identifying marks or characters thereon and adapted to be secured to a shipping or otherpackage, combined with a coupon device also having identifying marks or characters thereon and consisting essentially of an elongated strip secured to the back of the label and having its body portion formed of different widths so as to provide an enlarged portion between its ends, and also having at one end a projecting portion or iiap which eX- tends beyond the edge of the label, so as to provide a small exposed portion to be grasped for forcibly removing the coupon with the overlying identifying marks or characters on the label, substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RUDOLPH A. XVITTEMANN.

Witnesses:

RUDOLF BUECKING, HARRY R. OWEN. 

